irreversible

[ir-i-vur-suh-buhl]

adjective

1. not reversible; incapable of being changed.

   His refusal is irreversible.

irreversible

/ ˌɪrɪˈvɜːsəbəl /

adjective

1. not able to be reversed

   the irreversible flow of time

2. not able to be revoked or repealed; irrevocable

3. chem physics capable of changing or producing a change in one direction only

   an irreversible reaction

4. thermodynamics (of a change, process, etc) occurring through a number of intermediate states that are not all in thermodynamic equilibrium

Other Word Forms

• irreversibility noun
• irreversibleness noun
• irreversibly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of irreversible¹

First recorded in 1620–30; ir- ² + reversible

Example Sentences

Whether a person with a major psychiatric disorder can muster the necessary volition to support such an irreversible decision, and whether doctors can reliably determine that a patient’s condition is irremediable, are major question marks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Economic globalisation and multipolarity are irreversible," Li said at a Asian regional summit in October.

Read more on Barron's

If the system works, China’s control may prove irreversible even if democracy returns to Myanmar.

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Traditional clocks, from pendulums to atomic oscillators, depend on irreversible processes to track time.

Read more on Science Daily

How they handle the coming weeks and months will set a course for the sport that is likely irreversible.

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Related Words

• inevitable 
• permanent